World: Fate/Stay Night (Type-Moon).
Fuyuki City.
Rather than waiting for a full thirty days, Kuro decided to leave the One Punch Man world earlier.
After a rather long and intimate night, he and Tamamo immediately wrapped up several final matters.
However, before fully returning to his main world, Kuro briefly stopped by the MCU world to pick up Kama.
That decision made sense; leaving Kama without clarity for too long would likely create new complications.
Meanwhile, Xu Fu was intentionally left behind in that world.
Compared to the others, Xu Fu was quite competent in observation, situational analysis, and long-term monitoring.
Moreover, her presence was relatively safe. At the very least, Tony Stark already knew her as one of Kuro Tokito's acquaintances, which meant there was a solid layer of social security.
Now, with Tamamo and Kama temporarily still inside the Gate of Babylon, Kuro had finally returned.
His body materialized exactly at the starting point where he had left the Type-Moon world.
The sky above Fuyuki was still dark, indicating that night had not yet fully passed.
The air felt slightly cold, typical of a city that had grown quiet after midnight.
Kuro stood in front of the road leading to the church, the usual observation point of the Holy Grail War overseer.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
The sidewalk and road in the area were still in disarray. Cracks in the asphalt, shattered concrete, and traces of impact damage were still clearly visible.
Several emergency barricades had also been set up in multiple places, complete with yellow caution tape isolating the area like an unresolved incident site.
A familiar sight.
Kuro placed both hands into his coat pockets.
"Hm…"
He observed for a moment.
"Looks like it's been about two hours?"
His tone was far too relaxed for someone who had just returned from interdimensional travel.
However, right after he spoke, something shot through the air.
A golden sword tore through the night sky at high speed, flying straight toward Kuro like a projectile.
CLANK!!!
A loud metallic impact echoed.
In a split second, an Orichalcum shield manifested from a golden spatial ripple.
Its appearance was almost instantaneous, as if the Gate of Babylon's automatic defense system had reacted even before Kuro himself intended to move.
The golden sword struck the shield's surface.
BOOM!!!
Magical energy exploded from the point of impact, releasing blue flames and a short shockwave that swept through the surrounding area.
The sword was knocked back.
It spun through the air several times before finally embedding itself into the pavement not far from Kuro's position.
CRAAK.
The asphalt cracked around the impact point.
Kuro stared at the sword embedded in the ground for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh.
"…Yeah."
His tone was flat, almost emotionless.
"A very friendly way of greeting."
He slowly raised his gaze toward the source of the attack.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
His Sharingan with three tomoe slowly rotated, turning his iris blood-red under the night light.
His expression remained calm.
But now, far more focused.
"Gilgamesh," he muttered.
A faint smile formed at the corner of his lips.
"I just got back, and you're already throwing things."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Truly impatient."
On top of the church roof, partially destroyed from Kuro's previous attacks, Gilgamesh sat casually with a dominant posture, as if the place had always belonged to him.
His red eyes were locked onto Kuro. Cold, arrogant, and full of judgment.
"Keep barking, zashu."
His tone was condescending as always.
Unchanged.
He slowly stood up.
His movements were relaxed and elegant, one hand still in his pocket, as if the entire situation was nothing more than minor entertainment.
The next moment, space rippled in the night sky.
A portal opened.
Then ten.
Then a hundred.
And it kept multiplying.
In an instant, thousands of Gate of Babylon portals bloomed across the sky like a golden constellation tearing open the night.
Their light bathed the surroundings, while the dense magical pressure made the air feel heavy and suffocating.
From within the portals, various Prototype Noble Phantasms emerged.
Swords.
Spears.
Axes.
Curved blades.
A vast array of ancient and foreign weapons filled the sky, each radiating a dangerous aura capable of breaking one's will just by being seen.
Most were in the Rank B+++ to A+++ range, all now pointed directly at Kuro.
Unlike before.
This time, Gilgamesh's killing intent was far clearer—cold, absolute, and oppressive—as if he intended to erase Kuro's existence from the world with his overwhelming dominance.
Perhaps due to an unwilling concern he would never admit.
Or perhaps because the existence of a copy like Kuro, daring to touch the concept of "king" itself, truly offended his pride.
Gilgamesh smirked faintly.
"But, zashu… let me see how long you can keep barking."
Seeing that scene, Kuro only smirked in return.
If previously this situation might have pressured him due to limited magical energy resources, now everything was different.
Inside his Gate of Babylon lay millions of OD—energy reserves that could be burned at any time without concern.
More importantly, Kuro had developed far more efficient methods of usage.
By utilizing Eldritch Magic, which allowed him to borrow energy from other dimensions without directly absorbing it, he could now fully optimize the resources within his Gate of Babylon.
Instantly, his magical circuits lit up.
Kuro leapt toward a nearby rooftop and landed lightly.
A moment later, space rippled again.
A golden portal opened.
Then dozens.
Then hundreds.
Until, in an instant, a thousand Gates of Babylon surrounded Kuro's body—almost identical in number to Gilgamesh's.
Their golden light cut through the night, pushing back the darkness, turning the sky into two opposing constellations refusing to yield.
Seeing portals not summoned by himself, the King of Heroes' faint smile slowly disappeared.
His red eyes narrowed coldly.
"…Still the same," he said quietly, his voice sharp like a blade of ice freezing the ocean.
"How many times do you intend to make me witness such disgusting sights, zashu?"
And in the next moment, the sky collapsed.
Thousands of Prototype Noble Phantasms launched simultaneously from both sides, becoming a rain of death fired directly into the night sky.
SHWOOOOSH!!!
Not just one or two waves, but an endless barrage that continued without pause, as if the sky itself never ran out of weapons to unleash.
The entire area was filled with sharp sounds tearing through the air, accompanied by golden flashes crossing like apocalyptic meteors.
However, Kuro's portals opened directly along each projectile's path.
Every Noble Phantasm from Gilgamesh that entered those dimensional ripples was redirected and spat back out from different angles, turning the barrage into chaotic streams colliding mid-air.
BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!
Magical explosions filled the area.
Blue flames, golden flashes, and metallic collisions created a chaotic spectacle illuminating the night in Fuyuki.
CLANK!!! CLANK!!! CLANK!!!
The sound of impact continued endlessly.
Some weapons were deflected mid-air, spinning wildly before crashing into surrounding structures.
Roads cracked.
Gardens were pierced.
Metal fences were shattered.
Streetlights collapsed.
Even nearby public facilities became collateral damage in the absurd rain of weapons from two Gate of Babylon users.
The area now resembled a battlefield of ancient artifacts.
***
Far from the center of the battle, on the rooftop of a relatively intact building, Kirei Kotomine stood with both hands hidden inside his black robe.
The night wind gently moved his clothing.
From his position, the distant explosions looked like a man-made storm.
Golden flashes, blue firebursts, and muffled detonations made the entire scene feel almost surreal.
Kirei observed everything in silence.
His expression remained calm, almost unchanged. After a few moments, he let out a long sigh.
Not from exhaustion.
But more like someone confirming that a predicted disaster had finally come to pass.
"…Pathetic."
His tone was flat, almost a murmur to himself.
His gaze shifted toward the sky filled with Gate of Babylon light.
The scene was so absurd it almost looked beautiful.
If someone did not know the context, they might mistake it for a strange astronomical phenomenon.
Unfortunately, Kirei knew exactly what was happening.
And the truth was far worse.
"A situation of this scale cannot possibly be covered up as a simple gas leak."
He closed his eyes briefly, thinking.
Normally, small explosions, localized destruction, or civilian casualties could still be disguised with plausible explanations.
Fire.
Pipe leakage.
Electrical short-circuit.
Gas explosion.
Standard procedures.
But this time?
Kirei reopened his eyes and looked toward the church.
Half of it now looked like it was being used as artillery target practice.
Ancient swords rained down on public areas.
Magical explosions lit up the sky.
And two Gate of Babylon users were exchanging Noble Phantasms like children throwing stones.
"…It seems gas leaks have reached their evolutionary limit."
His tone remained calm, though a dry hint of sarcasm slipped through.
He fell silent again for a few seconds.
Then his brow slightly furrowed.
"Local earthquake?"
No.
Too absurd.
"Terrorism?"
Slightly more plausible.
But still insufficient to explain hundreds of ancient weapons embedded in public areas.
Kirei let out another sigh.
This time thinner.
Well, it could not be helped. He could not interfere with Gilgamesh.
Even if he wanted to.
And that was only one problem.
Now there was another "version of Gilgamesh" roaming freely.
Even if the man was not technically Gilgamesh, the result was just as troublesome.
Two arrogant individuals.
Two Gates of Babylon.
Two people inclined to resolve conflict through artifact bombardment.
Truly an either terrifying or amusing combination.
Depending on perspective.
Kirei watched the battle for a few more moments.
Then the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
A faint smile.
Barely visible.
"…An interesting irony."
He tilted his head slightly.
"The King of Treasures is now fighting a copy of himself."
A brief pause.
"Or perhaps," he added quietly, "a slightly more efficient version."
A rather bold comment.
Good thing it was not said directly in front of Gilgamesh.
Kirei looked back at the distant explosions.
"Very well."
His tone sounded resigned, but still composed.
"I suppose tonight's report will be quite long."
_______
Author's Note:
Creating something, even a fanfic, is not easy! Please support me! Leave comments, reviews, and some (or all) of your Power Stones! 😎
Hei. Don't ignore meh! Plz notice me senpai~
Sorry for the late update everyone 😅 I fell asleep and forgot.